National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
Constitution: 23 January 1961
Legal system: based on Napoleonic code; judicial review of legislative acts in Cassation Court only; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Rafael CALDERA
Rodriguez (since 2 February 1994); election last held 5 December 1993
(next to be held NA December 1998); results - Rafael CALDERA (National
Convergence) 30.45%, Claudio FERMIN (AD) 23.59%, Oswaldo ALVAREZ PAZ
(COPEI) 22.72%, Andres VELASQUEZ (Causa R) 21.94%, other 1.3%
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la
Republica)
Senate (Senado): elections last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held
NA December 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (53
total) AD 18, COPEI 15, Causa R 9, MAS 5, National Convergence 6; note
- 3 former presidents (2 from AD, 1 from COPEI) hold lifetime senate
seats
Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados): elections last held 5
December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1998); results - AD 27.9%,
COPEI 26.9%, MAS 12.4%, National Convergence 12.9%, Causa R 19.9%;
seats - (203 total) AD 55, COPEI 53, MAS 24, National Convergence 26,
Causa R 40, other 5
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Roberto YEPES, President
Political parties and leaders: National Convergence (Convergencia), Jose Miguel UZCATEGUI, president, Juan Jose CALDERA, national coordinator; Social Christian Party (COPEI), Luis HERRERA Campins, president, and Donald RAMIREZ, secretary general; Democratic Action (AD), Pedro PARIS Montesinos, president, and Luis ALFARO Ucero, secretary general; Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), Gustavo MARQUEZ, president, and Enrique OCHOA Antich, secretary general; Radical Cause (La Causa R), Pablo MEDINA, secretary general
Other political or pressure groups: FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers (CTV, labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action); VECINOS groups
Member of: AG, BCIE, CARICOM (observer), CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-11,
G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, MINURSO, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL, OPEC, PCA,
RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIH, UNPROFOR, UNU,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO